2005 THE RESOURCE INNOVATION GROUP ANNUAL REPORT global warming community capacity s.altu.alts.altta.alti.alt2na.altb.alt3le.end go.alt5ve.alt2rna.altnce.end sustainable business UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 130 HENDRICKS HALL EUGENE, OREGON 97403 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT March 1, 2006 Dear Friends and Supporters, On behalf of The Resource Innovation Group, I am pleased to present our 2005 annual report. The Resource Innovation Group (TRIG) accomplished a great deal in 2005 and expanded in a number of new directions. TRIG remains on the cutting edge of advancing interlinked economic, social, and environmental issues, policies and programs across the West. In this report you will learn how TRIG accomplished the following: For Mayor Kitty Piercy, led the City of Eugene Sustainable Business Initiative. Initiated a comprehensive program to help the public and private sectors cope with global warming and abrupt climate change. Assisted state and locacl government sustainability programs in Oregon and Washington State by providing train ing programs and completing an analysis of the economic impacts of businesses using sustainability practices. ? Launched a national study on the relationship between wildfire and poverty, and the need for better monitoring by federal agencies and assistance to rural communities. ? In cooperation with the Intertribal Timber Council, developed a Tribal Wildfire Resource Guide. ? Helped local g overnments and residents of Josephine County, Oreg on implement a community-based fire plan that addresses the needs of the rural poor that is now being used as a model for similar plans across the North west. Engaged hundreds of citizens in public meetings, roundtables, and workshops on issues related to climate change, local g overnment sustainability, sustainable business, and wildfire and poverty. This list highlights just some of our accomplishments in 2005. We could not achieve these accomplishments without the dedication of our outstanding staff and the active participation and support from our donors, contributors, partners and friends. Support from our colleagues in the Institute for a Sus- tainable Environment and the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon have also been instrumental in our success. On behalf of the entire board and staff I thank you for your continued support and involvement! Sincerely, Wayne Lei President, Board of Directors BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. Bob Bilby, Senior Biologist, Weyerhaeuser Company Susan Burns, Principal, Natural Strategies Inc. Larry Chalfan, Director, Zero Waste Alliance Dr. Paul Courant, Provost, School of Public Administration, University of Michigan (TRIG Treasurer) Bob Elliott, Director, SW Clean Air Agency Katy Eymann, Corporate Consultant Jenny Holmes, Director, Interfaith Network for earth Concerns, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Wayne Lei, Director, Environmental Management, Portland General Electric (TRIG Chair) Dr. Noelwah Rose Netusil, Professor, Department of Economics, Reed Collage Ernie Niemi, Economist and Principal, EcoNorthwest (TRIG Vice Chair) Margaret Nover, Fund Development Manager, Bureau of Environmental Services, City of Portland Charles F. Sams III, Executive Director, Columbia Slough Watershed Council Craig Shinn, Associate Professor, College of Public Administration, Portland State University Dr. Jean Stockard, Chair, Dept of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon Melissa A. Wade, Field Manager, Oregon Judicial Department, Citizen Review Board STAFF Bob Doppelt, Executive Director Kathy Lynn, Associate Director Marcus Kauffman, Program Manager Bill Almquist, Graduate Research Fellow, Community Capacity and the Environment Sarah Mazze, Graduate Research Fellow, Eugene Sustainable Business Initiative Jessica Neff, graduate student intern, Community Capacity and the Environment Ray Neff, Coylene Barry, Melissa Cohen, Daniel Henderson, student interns, Eugene Sustainable Business Initiative Natalie Reitman-White, graduate student intern, Sustainable Food Systems Project Katy Siepert, student intern, Community Capacity and the Environment MISSION AND ORGANIZATION The mission of Resource Innovations is to help govern- ment, business, and communities adopt sustainability-based thinking, policies, and programs. To achieve our mission, Resource Innovations assists others to expand thinking, de- velop linkages between seemingly unrelated organizations and issues, frame language and communication effectively, and promote innovation. Resource Innovations is a collaboration between the Re- source Innovation Group and the University of Oregon Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Resource Innova- tion Group is an independent non-profit organization. Programs Resource Innovations offers research, education, and technical assistance on sustainable development, commu- nity capacity and wildfire protection and on climate change issues. We help the public and private sectors and commu- nity groups develop strategies that increase business and living-wage job opportunities while simultaneously reduc- ing negative effects on the environment and social welfare. Graduate students, faculty, and staff from the University of Oregon are involved in many of our projects. Resource Innovations manages four distinct programs: Climate Leadership Initiative Community Capacity and Environment Sustainable Governance and Organizational Change Sustainable Business and Job Development The activities and accomplishments within these programs are highlighted in the annual report. NW Climate Leadership Initiative In 2004, RI became deeply involved in climate change activities. As the scope and depth of our involvement grew, Resource Innovations decided to organize the program under a new framework. The result is the Northwest Cli- mate Leadership Initiative, which began operations in 2006. Programs include: Climate literacy and education Climate economics Climate policy and program development Assessing Climate Change In the fall of 2004, the assistant city managers of the City of Eugene and the City of Springfield, and staff from Lane County, Oregon, agreed to work with Resource Innova- tions to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and identify strategies to reduce them. Using data provided by the City of Eugene, tRI analyzed emissions generated from internal city government opera- tions during the years 1994004. Sources in Eugene, Springfield and Lane County that contribute to total CO2 were found to be buildings, wastewater treatment, lighting, The Resource Innovation Group fleets, and municipal solid waste. In 2004, buildings con - tributed the highest percentage of emissions at 39%, with wastewater treatment a close second at 36% of emissions. Since 1992, the City of Eugene has implemented numerous internal actions that have reduced GHG emissions, includ- ing energ y efficiency and energ y use reduction prog rams, CO2 sequestration programs, and solid waste reduction and recycling programs. Subsequently, GHG emissions have been reduced or averted. The largest source of emissions reductions occurred when Eugene began to recover meth- ane at the wastewater treatment plant in 1992. Between the years assessed in the study, 1994-2004, the City of Eugenes internally generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 9%, from 19,334 metric tons CO2 equivalent in 1994 to 17,583 metric tons in 2004. Because buildings account for 39% of the Citys internal CO2 emissions and wastewater treatment accounts for 36%, we recommended that the greatest leverage for reduc- tions in total CO2 emissions may be found in additional measures being applied to those areas. RI recommended more extensive use of green building practices for new constr uction, and the establishment of efficiency standards well beyond current code for building upgrades. These would require Energy Star ratings for all hite goods (appliances), and where not already occurring, the pur- chase of green power from EWEB or the installation of renewable energy sources on the buildings themselves (i.e. solar panels). Specific recommendations for g reenhouse gas reductions for the wastewater treatment plant included shifts to renewable energy and increased public education on water- use efficiency, aimed at decreasing total wastewa - ter generated, and reducing the amount of organics in the wastewater stream. The complete assessment can be found at: http:// ri.uoregon.edu/publicationspress Education and Communication In partnership with the University of Oregon Community Planning Workshop, RI completed a series of focus groups to identify the best ways to communicate information about climate change with the general public and decision- makers. We tested different words and phrases to deter- mine which framed the issue of warming most effectively in peoples minds. We also asked which media outlets the public would be most inclined to listen to and trust, explored the language and emphasis needed to elicit action on warming, and asked what people thought the role of government should be. Our findings from this process indicated that the ter m lobal warmingdid not resonate well with people. The problem seemed too distant and disconnected from daily life. The term limate changeelicited greater attention, and adding the term bruptto climate change to signify the growing concern among scientists of potential rapid catastrophic impacts elicited the greatest concern. We found that people listened to a wide range of media and that, most importantly, people wanted to hear about climate change from experts in the field. The study indicated that information is best if ramedto fit the audience. The study also found that people wanted the issue brought down to everyday life, with both the con- sequences and the mechanisms for change made more per- sonal and accessible. Finally, we found that discussing solu- tions should be a high priority. A summar y of the findings from the focus groups can be found at: http://ri.uoregon. edu/publicationspress/CPW_Climate_Change_Communi- cations_Final_Report_6_3_2005.pdf Economic Consequences On October 11, 2005 Resource Innovations released a letter to Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and the states business leaders, signed by over 50 economists. This pioneering effort was the result of almost a years work in- tended to help decision makers in Oregon understand why they should care about climate change. The economists agreed with the following propositions: Rising average temperatures due to global warming will impose economic costs on many Oregonians in the near ter m, primarily due to lower river flows and restricted supplies of water associated with the loss of mountain snowpack and earlier snowmelt. In the longer term, but within this century, these and other costs are likely to increase as negative effects of rising temperatures and rising sea levels on water supplies, beach loss and coastal infrastructure, agricul- tural crop production, and forests, fisheries, and other resources become more pronounced. Rising average temperatures also increase the risk of certain catastrophic events that can affect Oregon. Many of the projected changes to Oregons environ- ment and natural resources (e.g., large reductions in summer water supplies, loss of mountain snow, beach inundation, and changes in regional ecosystems) are likely to have negative effects on Oregoniansjobs, incomes, and quality of life. An insurance approach spending now to protect against potentially large future costs with an unknown probability generated by climate change can be a pru - dent way to protect against both the risks themselves and the future costs of reducing those risks, which are expected to increase the longer action is delayed. nsurance premiumsagainst climate change risks include reasonable measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to displace fossil energy use through improved efficiency and local non-carbon polluting energy sources, and to encourage in-state investment in renewable energ y technologies and energ y efficiency. Such an insurance approach at the state level has the greatest chance of success if undertaken in conjunc- tion with similar efforts by other states and regions. Supporting the development of industries associated with the clean and renewable energy sectors may lay a foundation for job and income growth in Oregon and demonstrate leadership that benefits the state?s econo - my and well-being. Given these propositions, the economists urged the states public and private sector decision makers to make three commitments now for Oregons future: Act to reduce emissions: Accelerate concrete actions to reduce Oregons emissions of greenhouse gases and to encourage global emissions reductions. Prepare for higher temperatures and sea levels: Fac- tor the risks of rising temperatures and sea levels into infrastructure, energy, water, salmon, public health, and economic development planning processes at the state and local levels. Invest in economic opportunities: Adopt business and job development strategies that capture competi- tive advantage in the manufacture, use, and export of energ y efficiency and renewable energ y technologies and other technologies that reduce emissions and en- hance adaptation. Press coverage at the time of the release of the letter and report was exceptional and continues today. Oregons three largest newspapers, the Oregonian, Salem Statesman Journal, and Eugene Register Guard each wrote editorials discussing the implications of the analysis for state policy. Members of the economics team that wrote the report or signed the letter submitted Opinion Editorials that were published in the same papers. The economistsletter and statewide assessment can be found at: http://ri.uoregon.edu/publicationspress/Econo- mists_letter.pdf http://ri.uoregon.edu/publicationspress/ Consensus_report.pdf The Resource Innovation Group COMMUNITY CAPACITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Community Capacity and Environment program seeks to build capacity in rural and underserved communities to address wildfire protection, increase awareness about the relationships between wildfire and r ural poverty, and provide resources for community efforts in fire and forest restoration. WILDFIRE AND POVERTY Resource Innovations is collaborating with the National Network of Forest Practitioners and the U.S. Forest Service on a project to map community capacity and wildfire as - sistance dollars. The project is aimed at building greater understanding about where Federal assistance for wildfire protection is directed compared to community needs. This effort, as one of the first attempts to combine these particular types of social indicators, raises serious questions regarding the sufficiency of data collected and presented by Federal sources in analyzing progress on community and wildfire issues. Recommendations include improv - ing systems for monitoring federal wildfire prog rams and integrating social and economic indicators in all levels of project planning, implementation and monitoring. The re- port is located at: http://ri.uoregon.edu/programs/CCE/ poverty.html. We are also participating in the Rural Voices for Conserva- tion Coalition (RVCC), which is comprised of western rural and local, regional, and national organizations that have joined together to promote balanced conservation-based approaches to the ecological and economic problems fac- ing the West. Resource Innovationsis now helps organize an annual community-based forestry policy forum and is contributing to efforts related to performance measures, contracting, biomass utilization, and workforce and labor issues. TRIBAL WILDFIRE RESOURCE GUIDE In January 2005, Resource Innovations released the Wild- fire Protection and Tribal Needs Assessment, a study that examines and identifies the needs, issues, and concerns of Tribes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho related to wild- fire protection and prevention (available on-line at www. ri.uoregon.edu). To follow through with assessment recommendations, we began developing the Tribal Wildfire Resource Guide. The Guide is intended to help tribes understand and access re- sources for fire-related issues and assist non-tribal agencies and communities understand the role of consultation in working with tribes. The BIA awarded the Intertribal Timber Council and RI OUTREACH After the economistsletter and report on the economic impacts of climate change in Oregon was released, RI initi- ated an outreach program to get the information into the hands of state and local elected officials, business leaders, and civic leaders across the state. RI staff and a number of economists involved with the project made presentations throughout the state after the report was released to help further publicize the information. PUBLICATIONS Doppelt, Bob, and Goodstein, Eban, contacts. Fifty Lead- ing Economists Warn Oregon: Global Warming to come with a Big Price Tag (October 2005), press release. Barnes, William F. et al. EconomistsLetter to Governor Kulong oski, Oreg on State and Local Government Officials and Oregon Business and Civiv Leaders (October 2005) Resource Innovation Group. The Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Oregon: A Preliminary Assessment (October 2005), Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon. Department of Planning, Public Policy, and Manage- ment. Climate Protection in Eugene, Springfield and Lane County: An Assessment of Potential Consequences, Emis- sion Trends, and Strategy Options (April 2005), University of Oregon. Community Planning Workshop. Climate Change Com- munications (May 2005), University of Oregon Community Service Center Community Capacity and the Environment with over $10,000 to fund professional design and produc- tion of the guide as a book and an interactive DVD. The guide will be released in June 2006 at the Intertribal Timber Councils annual symposium in Fairbanks, Alaska. JOSEPHINE COUNTY FIRE PLAN IIn 2003, Resource Innovations initiated a collaborative process with the local fire districts, public agencies, com - munity organizations, and citizen volunteers to develop a countywide fire plan. Partners dedicated significant time to attending committee meetings to develop goals and ob- jectives for the fire plan and develop strategies to reduce wildfire risk throughout the county. The plan was adopted in November of 2004, and 2005 saw many accomplish- ments, challenges, and lessons learned during the first year of implementation. Josephine County also received signifi - cant regional and national recognition for the Integrated Fire Plan. A few highlights are includes below. Stewardship Contracting In September 2005, the JCIFP formed a Stewardship Contracting Committee. Stewardship contracting, which is a tool that agencies and communities can use to ac- complish natural resources management objectives, can help the JCIFP accomplish fuels reduction and restoration objectives, while also providing local economic benefit to communities. Federal stewardship contracting authori- ties direct agencies to select contractors based upon est valuecriteria, which incorporate local workforce, capacity building, and biomass utilization, in addition to traditional cost criteria. Risk Assessment RI completed an report on the Josephine County Fire Plan Risk Assessment, which describes and evaluates the risk assessment portion of the fire plan from technical and collaborative perspectives. The report also provides recom- mendations on future risk assessment work in Josephine County and throughout the state. Biomass Utilization In September 2005, RI completed a report on an Inven- tory and Analysis of Biomass Utilization Efforts in South- western Oregon, which focused on groups advancing the utilization of small-diameter wood and biomass originating from fuels reduction activities. Biomass utilization offers local economic development opportunities while offsetting some of the costs associated with hazardous fuels reduc- tion. The report provides information on biomass utiliza- tion, successes and challenges, and recommendations on how communities and agencies might move forward with biomass utilization efforts. Wolf Creek Fire District Strategic Plan In 2005, RI and the Rural/Metro Fire department assisted the Wolf Creek Rural Fire District develop a strategic plan. The plan was informed by a number of strategic planning activities involving key stakeholders such as the Board, Chief, firefighters, and community members. The planning process helped the District to identify a number of strate- gic issues as well as develop a revised action plan to help prioritize and direct future efforts. Woody Vegetation Disposal Day The first Woody Vegetation Disposal Day in Southwest Or - eg on, organized by fire plan partners, was held on April 16, 2005 at Jo-Gro, the City of Grants Passcomposting facil - ity. During the course of the day, 338 cubic yards of debris was collected from 143 customersbout twice as much as a typical day at Jo-Gro. Television, radio and newspaper coverage contributed to the days overall success. More Fire Planning Efforts In 2005, Resource Innovations provided technical assis- tance Jackson County, Oregon in the development of a county fire plan. Technical assistance focused on helping the County, fire districts, public agencies and community partners to understand the process of developing commu- nity fire plans and strategies for conducting public outreach. Resource Innovations also conducted a special needs as- sessment for the fire plan by creating a demog raphic profile of the county and by interviewing local social service agencies in who provide services to low-income, disabled, elderly, Hispanic, and youth residents, among others. The purpose of the interviews was to understand the needs of low-income and underserved citizens before, during, and after a wildfire event. Recommendations on how to help the special needs population reduce their risk to wildfire are included in the fire plan. In 2005, Resource Innovations also completed a contract with Clackamas County to assist in developing their county Community Capacity and the Environment fire plan. RI?s work with Clackamas County included a three-part training series on community fire planning, risk assessment, community outreach and plan implementation. Resource Innovations also assisted Clackamas County in coordinating five community meetings held in fire districts throughout the County. The meetings, which drew over 300 citizens, provided an opportunity for the public to gather and learn about the fire plan, their local fire district and wildfire risk and protection on the sur rounding landscape. Equally as important as the educational component of the Joint Fire Sciences Program Kathy Lynn received an invitation to participate on a national Research Advisory Group for a new Joint Fire Sciences Program (JFSP) study on community collabora- tion and capacity for wildfire protection planning. The role of the advisory group is to help the JFSP research team identify the relevant issues and tools useful to local com- munities and managers in developing and implementing Community Wildfire Protection Plans. 2005 Deer Creek Fire: Quick Response Grant Resource Innovations received a 2005 quick response grant from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colo- rado, Boulder to study impacts from the 2005 Deer Creek Fire. The fire ignited in the community of Selma, Oreg on, in Josephine County. The fire burned over 1600 acres on public and private land, destroying five homes, ranging from yurts to single-family structures, and seven outbuild- ings. The fire also damaged two homes with six outbuild - ings and threatened over one hundred residences. Resource Innovations assessed interagency coordination and public response as well as community perspectives on the fire during a community meeting held a month after the fire. Resource Innovations partnered on this g rant with a researcher from the University of Memphis. The draft re- port is available at: http://ri.uoregon.edu/programs/CCE/ CCEpublications.html Community Fire Plan Evaluation RI is developing a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of community fire plans in addressing the needs of low-in - come and underserved communities. To accomplish this objective, RI is conducting background research on policies and programs related to CWPPs that describe benchmarks and evaluation measures. These indicators will be incorpo- rated into a guide or written strategy to be used by commu- nities, agencies, and organizations in the evaluation of their own CWPPs. Social Vulnerability and Natural Hazards Resource Innovations is developing strategies to transfer lessons learned from wildfire and poverty efforts to other natural hazards. Resource Innovations is also actively par- ticipating in the Gender and Disaster Network (GDN), an educational project initiated by women and men interested in gender relations in disaster contexts. Resource Innova- tions solicited photos and stories from GDN members and helped to create a poster highlighting the efforts of GDN Members. The poster was displayed at the 2005 Natural Hazards Research and Applications Conference in Boulder, Colorado and is available for download at: http:// ri.uoregon.edu/publicationspress/GDN_Poster_7-20- 05.pdf. Publications Lynn, K. and Gerlitz, W., Mapping the Relationship be- tween Wildfire and Poverty. (November 2005). Lynn, K., Plan to help Vulnerable Oregonians in Disasters. (October 2005), Op-Ed, Register Guard, Eugene, Oregon. Lynn, K., Disasters and the Cycle of Poverty: Understand- ing Urban, Rural, and Gender Aspects of Social Vulnerabil- ity (September 2005) Paper presented to the Global Studies Association, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Almquist, B., Inventory and Analysis of Biomass Utiliza- tion Efforts in Southwestern Oregon (September 2005) Report submitted to Josephine County. Maki, M., Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District Strate- gic Plan (August 2005) Almquist, B., JCIFP - Lessons Learned: Wildfire Risk As - sessment (July 2005) Almquist, B., JCIFP - Lessons Learned: Evaluation of the Planning Process (June 2005) Maki, M., JCIFP- Lessons Learned: Woody Vegetation Dis- posal Day in Southwestern Oregon (May 2005) Rasmussen, K., The Promise of Wildland Fire Manage- ment: Creating Economic Opportunity for American Indian Tribes (June 2005) Lynn, K. and Rasmussen, K., Wildfire Protection and Tribal Needs Assessment: A Study of the Resources and Needs Related to Wildland and Structural Fire Protection for Pa- cific Northwest Tribes (Febr uar y 2005). Sustainable Governance Univ. of Oregon Sustainability Leadership Academy Research and the experience of RI staff suggest that one of the most important missing links in the transition to Community Capacity and the Environment sustainability is education and skill building for working professionals. For this reason, RI Director Bob Doppelt established and coordinated the Sustainability Leadership Academy (SLA) in 2005. Through the University of Or- egon Department of Continuing Education, this profes- sional development education and training program offered over 21 half, one-day, and two-day seminars as well as a day-long conference. Course offerings included a series on organizational change, complete with seminars on systems thinking, sustainability change-management, leadership, sus- tainable governance, and knowledge management. A series of technical seminars were offered on topics such as green building, zero waste, facilities management, and renewable energy. In addition, administrative seminars were offered on topics such as accounting for sustainability and human resource management. Over 275 people attended the seminars, with the major- ity being business owners or managers and government employees. Sustainable Business State of Oregon Sustainable Business Assessment At the request of the State of Oregon Sustainability Board, RI produced a statewide assessment of local businesses that employ sustainability measures, and the economic impacts of these businesses. Released in the spring of 2005, this analysis offers important insights for Oregon business owners. The assessment found that a majority of busi- nesses employing sustainable practices were able to grow during the difficult economic years spanning from 2000 to 2003, while competitors in their sectors saw their revenues decline by an average of 3.1%. This suggests that many companies engaged in sustainability appear to be economi- cally healthier than comparable businesses in their sector. These companies could potentially help to anchor local economic development efforts. RI also concluded that if companies already involved with sustainability are given assistance to apply additional sustainability practices, they might achieve even greater competitive advantages. Efforts to share the competi- tive advantages (as identified by sur vey respondents) with others in the same or similar sectors could alert business owners to the benefits of sustainable practice, thus expand - ing their use and application throughout Oregon. The assessment results can be found on the State of Or- egon Sustainability Boards website: http://www.sustain- ableoregon.net/ City of Eugene Sustainable Business Initiative Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy launched the Sustainable Busi- ness Initiative (SBI) to identify and support mechanisms to retain, grow, and create businesses and jobs in the emerg- ing field of sustainable business practices and products. Resource Innovations was hired to coordinate the project. Graduate teaching fellow, Sarah Mazze and undergraduate intern, Ray Neff, work with RI Director Bob Doppelt on SBI. Five other interns have staffed the project at different times. A 16-member citizen task force, appointed by the mayor, leads the SBI. In 2005, the task force gathered ideas from local citizens and experts. In late 2006, the group will make recommendations to the Eugene City Council on how to support and expand triple bottom line business practices and products. RI conducted a series of roundtables focused on 12 topics, including organic and natural foods, green building, biofu- els, renewable energ y, financing, and technical assistance. Follow-up roundtables took place for five of those sectors. The roundtables sought to gather key stakeholders from the sector, as well as outside experts to identify ways to enhance sustainable business and job development oppor- tunities in their sector. RI held meetings with community organizations, as well as two open houses to gather ideas from the general public. An online survey also provided the general public with an opportunity to provide feedback while a second survey focused on business owners engaged in sustainable practices. During the spring of 2006, the task force will develop and finalize recommendations to be presented to the City Council. Preliminary results not contingent on the actions of the City Council include revival or initiation of four industr y-specific networks, the planned June launching of a website to serve as a clearinghouse of information on sustainability, the development of a suite of g reen finance opportunities that could be pursued to help finance the Sustainable Business development of local sustainable businesses, and a survey by RI of local business needs in regards to sustainability education and technical assistance. Organic Produce Trade Moves Toward Sustainability For the past year, RI has been assisting Organically Grown Company (OGC) to move the entire west-coast organic produce trade toward sustainability. OGC is the largest distributor of organic produce in California, Oregon, and Washington. The company believes that the adoption of sustainability practices throughout its value chain is impera- tive to retain competitive advantage as large industrial food producers continue to enter the market, oil prices rise, and the public becomes increasingly concerned with food qual- ity. The value chain includes farmers, distributors, retailers, suppliers, processors, grocers, restaurateurs, and anyone else involved in the production and distribution of organic products. Early in 2005, RI helped OGC staff analyze how to engage their value chain in sustainability. The first result was a day - long Sustainability Summit in March 2005, hosted by OGC, which brought together 150 participants from the U.S. and Mexico. Despite tremendous growth of the Organic industry in the 1990s, the trade faces many challenges, from determining reliable sources of fairly treated labor to dependence on fossil fuels. Through a facilitated process led by RI Director Bob Doppelt, the g roup identified many areas of the organic produce value-chain that must be ad- dressed for the organic industry to adopt a path toward sus- tainability and survive and grow into the future. After the summit, Bob Doppelt partnered with OGC to hire Natalie Reitman-White, a graduate student intern at the University of Oregon, to follow up with summit participants, facilitate ongoing dialogue within the trade, and provide sustainabil- ity related research to support ongoing efforts. A core group of leaders have emerged through this process and have begun to evaluate their own business practices, conducting internal sustainability audits and facility im- provements. They have formed inter-industry Innovation Groups to begin to tackle the problem areas including, packaging, energy and transportation, and consumer educa- tion. A Sustainability Discussion Board has been launched to facilitate dialogue between organic produce trade growers, distributors and retailers, and facilitates ongoing discussion of current practices and challenges and poten- tial improvements. Visitors to the website have explored sustainability application issues such as how safe and com- patible bio-diesel is for trucks, co-branding educational bro- chures, and the pros and cons of biodegradable packaging made from bio-engineered corn. One result of the process is a eclaration of Sustainability in the Organic Produce Trade,initiated and coauthored by the group. This declara - tion describes the vision and principles of sustainability in the trade and allows for signors to publicly set specific g oals for how they will work toward sustainability. To engage the industry and stimulate feedback, OGC has presented the working draft eclarationat conferences, including the Washington and Oregon Tilth annual meetings, and the Ecological Farming Conference. Although RI has helped steer and support the process, OGC has been the primary driver. As the initiative ma- tured, the Innovation Group proposed that the effort move out from under OGCs roof to become a joint project of many businesses in the trade. The group recognizes that they need support from outside the industry with research, facilitation, and training in sustainability concepts. Upon reflection, the process is evolving similar to the development of the national organic standards; the trade recognizes its common challenges and opportunities in the emerging field of sustainability. In doing so, the project has brought together businesses from all links of the produce value-chain, including traditional competitors, to look at areas ripe for collaboration. Given this evolution, RI staff decided to launch a Sustainable Food Systems Program in 2006 bring with the goal of exploring mechanisms for public-private partnership to support the development of this business cluster. STAFF UPDATES In 2005, Resource Innovations engaged numerous gradu- ate students from the University of Oregon in its activities. Sarah Mazze, Masters student in Environmental Studies and Journalism helped manage the City of Eugene Sustain- able Business Initiative, as well as undergraduate Ray Neff, who is majoring in planning, public policy and manage- ment. Bill Almquist, Masters student in Community and Regional Planning served as a graduate fellow to work on biomass utilization and stewardship contracting efforts related to the Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan. Other interns with the Community Capacity and Environment Program in 2005 included Melissa Maki, graduate student in Public Administration, Jessica Neff and Susan Padgett, graduate students in Community and Regional Planning, and Katy Siepert, undergraduate in Environmental Stud- ies. Natalie Reitman-White, a sociology graduate student, has led the sustainable food systems project for Resource Innovations. We also said farewell to Kitty Rasmussen, intern and gradu- ate fellow with RI for almost two years, who graduated and went on to a staff position at the Trust for Public Lands in Seattle, Washington. Kitty provided significant leadership to the development of the Tribal Wildfire Resource Guide and focused on issues related to economic development opportunities through fire management. Kitty?s work was recognized with a scholarship to the 2005 Intertribal Tim- ber Council symposium in Visalia, California and presented her thesis research at the 2005 Associated Collegiate Schools of Planners conference in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2006, RI welcomed our newest staff member, Sustainable Governance and Sustainable Business Sustainable Governance and Sustainable Business Marcus Kauffman, who is joining us half-time as a Program Manager and is focusing on projects within the Community Capacity and Environment program. Marcus has extensive experience working with r ural communities in the Pacific Northwest. His work focuses on developing public-private collaborations with rural communities to improve natural resource and economic development opportunities. He has developed collaboratives that have addressed ecosystem restoration, sustained yield units, community fire protection planning, and stewardship contracting. A long-time Oregonian, Marcus was raised in rural south- ern Oregon where he worked in his fathers post and pole construction and log furniture business. After earning a bachelors in international studies from the University of Oregon, he served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. After the Peace Corps, Marcus worked in his hometown of Cave Junction, Oregon for two years with the AmeriCorps program and then returned to University of Oregon where he earned a Masters of Community and Regional Planning. Prior to joining Resource Innovations, Marcus worked for Sustainable Northwest and the Water- shed Research and Training Center. He lives in Eugene with his wife and charming eight-month old daughter Eleni. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON OFFICE: 130 Hendricks Hall 5247 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-5247 Phone: (541) 346-0687 Fax: (541) 346-2040 OFF-CAMPUS OFFICE: P.O. Box 51182 Eugene, OR 97405 Phone: (541) 744-7072 Fax: (541) 744-6660 The Resource Innovation Group